Has anybody tried/used smelt for bait?
Do you use it whole in the hole, ground up fresh, tainted?
Maybe somebody has ground it up & let it render down to oil?

fresh, either frozen on wax paper, then bagged
OR
layered with salt in a bucket
they would probably grind too if ya wanted that texture...but then ya gota add preservative.
It is in the DVD "Riverin' with Clint and Newt."

Slightly tainted whole or ground up make very good coon bait. As they ripen, the smell gets stronger. You can’t go wrong with smelt or herring or carp or any oily fish.